She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 555

They stayed in the quiet embrace for a while until Lucian finally felt his strength returning. Remembering a crucial detail, he said, "Ito, the therapist handling Zelie's case, just landed in Metropia. When do you want to see him?"

"Tonight," she replied.

He raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you tired?"

"I've got plenty of energy." Reaching into her pocket, Loyce pulled out a medicinal lozenge infused with Frost Peppermint. She unwrapped it and held it to his lips.

Taking the candy, Lucian pressed a soft kiss to her fingertips. "Then we'll go together."

Since their relationship and movements needed to remain completely off the radar, she left the VIP room first, and he slipped out through a private exit.

When Loyce returned to the Bloomberry booths, the team was pleasantly buzzed. She arrived just in time to hear Jean Morgan teasing Giselle Turner.

"You've been totally zoned out tonight. Are you secretly seeing someone?"

Giselle's mind instantly flashed back to the other night—getting drunk, throwing up all over Hank Lonsdale, him carrying her back to the hotel, and somehow ending up kissing him passionately.

She flinched as if burned, vigorously shaking her head to clear the memory. "No! I just got my full-ride scholarship acceptance letter from the Royal Art Academy. I've been too excited to sleep!"

Jean's jaw dropped. "They accepted you already?! The Royal Art Academy? That's practically the holy grail of design!"

Giselle couldn't hide her glowing smile. "I know! I didn't think it would happen this fast. They don't even need my college entrance exam scores. I just have to show up for a placement test."

Loyce approached the table with a warm smile. "Have you all picked a destination yet?"

Her arrival injected another burst of energy into the group.

"We've narrowed it down to a few top choices," Jean said. "Everyone wants to go everywhere, so we decided to let our fearless boss make the final call."

"Sounds good," Loyce nodded. Glancing around the booth, she asked, "What happened to the Langley heir?"

"He left pretty early," Jean shrugged. "He didn't really seem like the clubbing type. He had this very intense, intimidating vibe, even though he was perfectly polite."

Giselle nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he felt dangerous."

"I think we're all partied out," another employee chimed in. "A few people are already wasted, so I've called designated drivers to take them home."

The car skidded to a halt in front of a decaying, abandoned warehouse. Cutting the engine, the driver snatched the keys and hopped out. Gripping a heavy steel baton, he yanked the back door open and glared at her. "Get out. Don't make me drag you by your hair."

As Loyce stepped out into the dirt, over a dozen bulky thugs emerged from the shadows, forming a tight perimeter around her.

She took in the dismal surroundings and clicked her tongue in mild disappointment.

"What are you looking at? Get inside!" the fake driver barked, jabbing his baton toward the gaping maw of the warehouse.

She tilted her head slightly. "I'm assuming you picked this location because there are no security cameras?"

The men exchanged confused glances. Any normal socialite would be sobbing on her knees begging for mercy by now, but this girl was acting like she was on a guided tour.

Figuring she was trapped anyway, the leader sneered. "We're professionals. Tonight is going to ruin your life, but nobody will ever see the tape."

Loyce strolled leisurely into the warehouse. In the center of the concrete floor sat a single wooden chair, flanked by a long folding table. Scattered across the table was a sickening assortment of restraints and torture devices.

She glanced over her shoulder at the ring of men closing in, instantly recognizing the vile hunger in their eyes. They weren't just going to beat her—they planned to assault her.